Military wives struggle to find jobs

SAN ANTONIO — The nation's 1.14 million military spouses often struggle more than civilians to find work and jobs suited to their educational levels and experience, a study released Wednesday says.

The Military Officers Association of America, which met this week in San Antonio, said one in every three young women married to U.S. troops was out of work. The spouses, 18 to 24 years old, also were three times as likely to be jobless as their civilian counterparts.

The study, done for MOAA by Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families, also said 90 percent of the spouses reported being underemployed — having more education or experience than needed in their job.

“The results of the 2013 Military Spouse Employment Survey demonstrate a need for concerted efforts to improve the employment issues currently faced by military spouses,” said MOAA's president, retired Vice Adm. Norb Ryan.

The survey, conducted last fall, contacted more than 2,600 people.

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The average military spouse is a woman, 33, who has some college or a bachelor's degree and is more likely to have children in the home. She is less likely to have a job and makes 38 percent less than her civilian counterpart. Her husband has been deployed on average 24 months.

The problem is neither new nor easily solved. A majority of spouses in the study blame their problems on a life in the military that is marked by frequent moves, wartime deployments, living in areas with poor job opportunities, and long hours that keep service members away from home and children.

The findings underscored an old problem. Military spouses have faced higher jobless rates than civilians since at least 2000. While less than 10 percent of civilians 18 to 24 years old have been out of work through most of the past decade, up to 30 percent of the young military spouses have been jobless.

One in three reported having trouble finding a job that matches their skill and educational level or one flexible enough to accommodate their husband's schedule.

A San Antonio group is spearheading a program that would allow military spouses to put résumés on a website that employers can scrutinize as they look for qualified applicants. The site and a cellphone app could be online by summer and will help veterans and those leaving the military.

The Military and Veterans Community Council, which itself is still in the early stages of development, is creating the app and website. The council is a partnership of the San Antonio Area Foundation, Alamo Area Council of Governments, the San Antonio Coalition for Veterans and Families and San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

Kara Hill, who heads the council's employment team, said 25,000 people are expected to leave the military in San Antonio over the next few years, with around 40 percent staying in the area.

While the military helps prepare troops for civilian life, the council will bring employers into the picture, giving businesses “a huge opportunity ... to capture some really amazing talent,” said Hill, who owns a construction company.

A council spokesman, Brian Graybeal, said there are so many resources for veterans and their families, it can be confusing.

“So what we're trying to do is provide a link and a large collaborate impact for veterans and their families for services that help them with employment, counseling, educational opportunities and a wealth of other services, but also provide employers a link and educators an opportunity to help out,” he said.

Sig Christenson covers the military for the San Antonio Express-News and been with the paper since 1997. He was embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and has reported from Baghdad and Afghanistan seven times since.

A Houston native, he covered the Branch Davidian siege, the 1994 Pensacola abortion clinic shooting, the 2003 space shuttle breakup over Texas, the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and its subsequent legal proceedings, as well as hurricanes, tropical storms and floods since 1986, among them Rita and Katrina and Maria.

Some of his projects include “Witness to War,” a special section recounting the invasion and early occupation of Iraq, and “The Only Retreat,” a three-part series detailing the only U.S. defeat during the invasion.

He’s won awards from Hearst Newspapers and the Associated Press, including Texas APME’s Specialties Reporting category in 2008, and was named “Reporter of the Year” by his peers in 2004.

A graduate of the University of Houston, he is a co-founder, former president and former board member of Military Reporters & Editors, established in 2002.

For a look at his work over time, see www.sigchristenson.com E-mail Sig at saddamscribe@yahoo.com